The 64-year-old former Conservative councillor now faces a possible jail sentence after also pleading guilty to possessing illegal images of children.

Fisher, of Queens Road, Whitstable. who was described by his own lawyer as "an arrogant man lacking in empathy", will be sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court next month.

Former Sheriff of Canterbury Martin Fisher

The images and words relating to searches for pictures of children were found on his computer following a visit from police in July last year.

Fisher, who was granted bail until the next hearing, had deleted his computer's Internet history on in breach of an earlier SOPO.

That followed him being jailed three years ago for indecently assaulting a youngster and downloading illegal images.

Fisher, who had run his own insurance business in Sittingbourne, told one police officer after his arrest: "Some people like Picasso. I like pictures of children with no clothes on."

The case was heard at Canterbury Crown Court

The paedophile later pleaded guilty to five charges, including two sexual assaults on an adult and 11 charges of downloading disgusting images of children - including one depicting sado-masochism on a child.

Judge Adele Williams, in jailing him for 15 months, told him he had a "deviant sexual interest in children" who had shown no insight about the effect on his victim.